Eight MLB All-Star Candidates at Risk of Being Snubbed in Fan Voting

Players who aren't yet household names fight an uphill battle in fan voting to start the Midsummer Classic, no matter their level of productivity.

White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery has quietly been one of baseball's best at his position since debuting last year. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

MLB All-Star voting has commenced, with the first phase of the process open until June 25. Fans have the chance to decide which players are deserving of a spot in the starting lineups of this year’s Midsummer Classic.

As a reminder, fan voting will make up the entirety of the decision as to which position players will be starters at the All-Star Game, including the DH. Pitchers and reserves are determined by player ballots and selections directly from the commissioner's office.

With fan voting having such a significant impact on the make-up of the All-Star Game lineups, there’s some risk that deserving players in smaller markets might not get the representation their play on the field warrants. Of course, those overlooked by the fans still have a chance to get the nod from their peers and the commissioner's office.

We’re going to look at some standout players who may not be household names and could potentially be overlooked in favor of more well-known players during this year’s voting process.

NL shortstop: Otto López, Marlins

More likely to win fan vote: Elly De La Cruz, Reds; CJ Abrams, Nationals

Otto López leads MLB in hits (89) and batting average (.346) through his first 66 games. He’s been one of the best offensive shortstops in the league and ranks 12th in MLB with a 2.7 fWAR. The only shortstop with a higher fWAR this season is Bobby Witt. Just a few years ago, López was traded to the Giants from the Blue Jays for cash considerations and was later waived by San Francisco. Now, he’s enjoying a breakout season in Miami and could very well be one of the team’s representatives at the All-Star Game.

Although López has dominated this season, it’s more likely that Elly De La Cruz or CJ Abrams wins the fan vote to be the National League’s starting shortstop. They've been excellent, too. De La Cruz is second among NL shortstops with 2.6 fWAR, and has been superior defensively with six outs above average to López’s zero. Abrams is third with 2.4 fWAR, leads all shortstops with a 149 wRC+, and leads NL shortstops with 14 home runs. Still, López has a marginally higher OPS and fWAR than both while leading MLB in some key hitting categories.

NL second baseman: Xavier Edwards, Marlins; JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals; Luis Arráez, Giants

More likely to win fan vote: Brice Turang, Brewers; Brandon Lowe, Pirates

Second base isn't usually chock full of deserving candidates with strong offensive profiles, but this year has blessed us with far more players at the position than can fit on the NL roster.

Edwards has quietly been one of MLB’s best hitters, owning an impressive slash line of .302/.387/.453 with a career-high six home runs to go with 11 stolen bases. Edwards ranks 24th in MLB with a 2.4 fWAR, but his contributions often go unnoticed on a Marlins team that doesn’t draw much attention on a national level.

Wetherholt has enjoyed a sensational start to his MLB career, locking down second base in St. Louis and cementing his role as the team’s leadoff hitter. Wetherholt is just 23 years old and ranks 23rd in MLB with a 2.5 fWAR. He’s a solid hitter, with a .753 OPS and a 117 wRC+, but it’s his defense that’s really turned heads. Wetherholt ranks third in MLB with 11 outs above average, trailing only Bobby Witt and Pete Crow-Armstrong.

Arráez has dramatically improved both his defensive metrics and offensive output in San Francisco, boasting a strong 122 wRC+ while grading out as the second best defensive second baseman in the majors. Put that together with his usual elite contact skills—his .327 batting average ranks fourth in MLB—and you've got yourself an All-Star caliber infielder.

Turang, meanwhile, was Team USA's starting second baseman at the World Baseball Classic in March and leads all second basemen in fWAR. Lowe's 15 homers are four more than anyone else at his position, and he's deservedly gotten a lot of credit for Pittsburgh's offensive awakening. Turang and Lowe are, respectively, the top two NL second basemen in OPS—though the margin is so narrow that Edwards may have overtaken one or both by the time you're reading this—and have shorter odds of claiming a spot in the NL starting lineup.

AL shortstop: Colson Montgomery, White Sox

Player more likely to win fan vote: Bobby Witt Jr., Royals

Montgomery has been a key cog in the White Sox' unexpected success this season, showcasing his power at the plate during his excellent second season in the bigs by racking up 16 home runs in 64 games. And his defense has been equally impressive—with 11 outs above average, he ranks fourth among all players and second among shortstops.

Season HR #16 for Colson Montgomery.
Ranks T-13 in MLB.#Montgomery #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/m60LvJEZRb

— Every Dinger HQ (@EveryDinger) June 6, 2026

Unfortunately, the only shortstop above him on that leaderboard is Witt, the 2024 AL MVP runner-up and the major-league leader in fWAR (3.8). Like much of the current crop of White Sox talent, Montgomery is not yet a nationally recognized name, which puts him at a major disadvantage behind the Royals star who already has two Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves in his trophy case.

AL outfield: Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox

Player more likely to win fan vote: Cody Bellinger, Yankees; Byron Buxton, Twins; Mike Trout, Angels

Rafaela has been one of MLB’s best defensive outfielders this season while also supplying an above-average bat for the struggling Red Sox. He’s fifth in MLB in outs above average with 10, more than any other AL outfielder. Rafaela’s offensive numbers don’t jump off the page, but he owns a 110 wRC+ and is sporting a career-high .761 OPS with 19 extra-base hits.

Unfortunately, he's unlikely to gather more votes than the trio listed above, all of whom should benefit from more star power and superior offensive numbers. There's also the possibility that Red Sox fans don't stuff the ballot box as much as they would during a more successful season in Boston.

AL third baseman: Miguel Vargas, White Sox

Player more likely to win fan vote: José Ramírez, Guardians

Vargas is breaking out in a major way in 2026 after largely struggling to make much of an impact in the first four years of his career. He did hit 16 home runs and drive in 60 RBIs with a 1.4 fWAR across 138 games last season, but those are pedestrian numbers for a third baseman. This year, however, he's already matched his '25 home run tally while producing 2.4 fWAR, which ranks 23rd in MLB. Vargas is in the league’s 95th percentile with a 15.1% walk rate, and his Statcast profile resembles that of an elite hitter, not a flash in the pan.

MIGUEL VARGAS HITS A WALK-OFF HOMER! pic.twitter.com/D5oBGsKmHg

— MLB (@MLB) May 30, 2026

While Vargas has been excellent, he’ll be up against some strong competition in fan voting at third base, particularly from perennial All-Star José Ramírez. Vargas has had a better season at the plate than Ramírez, but the Guardians star is a premier defender at the hot corner and boasts much more name recognition.

AL first baseman: Jonathan Aranda, Rays

Player more likely to win fan vote: Nick Kurtz, Athletics

Aranda got an All-Star nod last season, the first of his career, and could be in line for another in 2026. He’s added a bit more power to his game this year, with 11 home runs and 45 RBIs in 63 games after hitting 14 home runs with 59 RBIs in 106 games last season. His walk rate has also significantly increased (14.5% compared to last year’s 9.7%). Aranda has been an important player for the surprisingly formidable Rays, who are tied with the Yankees for the AL East lead amid yet another overachieving campaign for the penny-pinching franchise.

As good as Aranda has been, reigning AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz has been an undeniable force at the plate. His 20.9% walk rate is the highest in the majors, and he has 15 home runs to boot. Even on an Athletics team that doesn’t get much national attention, Kurtz’s prolific rookie season was near impossible to ignore, and he’s producing at a high enough level to cast a shadow over his peers.